"Fast car" is kind of a continuation of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run." It has all the clawing your way to a better life, but in this case the protagonist never makes it with her love; in fact she is dragged back down by him.
There is still an amazing amount of hope and will in the lyrics; and the lyrics themselve rank and easy five. If only music was stronger it would be one of those great radio songs that you hear once a week 20 years after it was released. The imagery is almost tear-jerking ("City lights lay out before us", "Speeds so fast felt like I was drunk"), and the idea of starting from nothing and just driving and working and denigrating yourself for a chance at being just above poverty, then losing in the end is just painful and inspiring at the same time.
On the streets of the Springs,
with short hair and torn jeans
I saw her walking into the video store.
I held myself an aisle away
and peered over her shoulder
while she browsed through the videotapes
my heart leapt when she chose Angus, Real Genius, and The Sure Thing.
Forgot to check my own tapes out first;
the alarm went off as I followed her through the door
I followed her to Vinyl Ink.
Though I kept my distance I followed her through the stacks.
These were the records she found, and she held, and she later bought
The Fun Boy Three, Air Miami, then Kraftwerk,
considered The Soft Boys, but opted for Bandwagonesque.
George was still around then and he said
"Have you heard the Hit Parade record yet?"
Outside next to a parking meter
with a Karmann Ghia with no top and stickers which read
"Meat is Murder" "The Connells" "The Smiths", "Ministry Forever",
before I could fail to say hello
or she could even drive off my heart missed a beat.
She met some guy from The Ropers
and kissed him
as I looked away.
with short hair and torn jeans
I saw her walking into the video store.
I held myself an aisle away
and peered over her shoulder
while she browsed through the videotapes
my heart leapt when she chose Angus, Real Genius, and The Sure Thing.
Forgot to check my own tapes out first;
the alarm went off as I followed her through the door
I followed her to Vinyl Ink.
Though I kept my distance I followed her through the stacks.
These were the records she found, and she held, and she later bought
The Fun Boy Three, Air Miami, then Kraftwerk,
considered The Soft Boys, but opted for Bandwagonesque.
George was still around then and he said
"Have you heard the Hit Parade record yet?"
Outside next to a parking meter
with a Karmann Ghia with no top and stickers which read
"Meat is Murder" "The Connells" "The Smiths", "Ministry Forever",
before I could fail to say hello
or she could even drive off my heart missed a beat.
She met some guy from The Ropers
and kissed him
as I looked away.
Lyrics submitted by windmills221b, edited by RPGCoder
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Fast Car
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Yo La Tengo
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This song was originally written by a guy called Peter Gutteridge. He was one of the founders of the "Dunedin Sound" a musical scene in the south of New Zealand in the early 80s. From there it was covered by "The Clean" one of the early bands of that scene (he had originally been a member of in it's early days, writing a couple of their best early songs). The Dunedin sound, and the Clean became popular on american college radio in the mid to late 80s. I guess Yo La Tengo heard that version.
Great version of a great song,
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I don't think it's necessarily about sex. It's about wanting to start the day with some love and affection. Maybe a warm cuddle. I'm not alone in interpreting it that way! For example:
"'Just a Little Lovin’ is a timeless country song originally recorded by Eddy Arnold in 1954. The song, written by Eddie Miller and Jimmy Campbell, explores the delicate nuances of love and showcases Arnold’s emotive vocals. It delves into the universal theme of love and how even the smallest gesture of affection can have a profound impact on our lives." https://oldtimemusic.com/the-meaning-behind-the-song-just-a-little-lovin-by-eddy-arnold/
Amazing
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Ed Sheeran tells a story of unsuccessfully trying to feel “Amazing.” This track is about the being weighed down by emotional stress despite valiant attempts to find some positivity in the situation. This track was written by Ed Sheeran from the perspective of his friend. From the track, we see this person fall deeper into the negative thoughts and slide further down the path of mental torment with every lyric.
Yeah, I don't think I've followed someone to those lengths but I've been in that position. Great band, great song.
just a few corrections: craftwork=Kraftwerk carmengia=Karmann Ghia heart skipped=heart missed